The transformation of Aberdeen from a steady-as-you-go side, guilty of registering too many draws last season, to the swashbuckling, entertaining and thoroughly engaging outfit they are today is due to a number of factors.

The Pittodrie side could easily lay claim to being the fittest bunch in the SPFL Premiership - certainly, their recent performances suggest they are contenders to that title - and their attacking flair is worthy of attracting even neutral football fans to see what they provide.

Yet, while Derek McInnes, the Aberdeen manager, bemoaned a lack of goals during their efforts throughout the last campaign, the balance has shifted and, while the loss of a dozen league goals in nine games could never be labelled a crisis, it is a statistic which has clearly been a topic of discussion within Pittodrie.

Shay Logan alluded to that following his side's victory over Dundee, a game that never dipped below four stars for thrills, after the 3000-plus Aberdeen supporters among a raucous 8784 crowd were treated to a glorious winner midway through the second half, courtesy of David Goodwillie's header. It was a match in which the ebullience and flair of Logan, the provider of the crucial cross, also shone through.

"We scored three good goals but we would rather win 1-0," said the Aberdeen full-back. "We have definitely got to get a balance between attack and defence. I am a defender and for me the clean sheet is the priority.

"Conceding the goals we have done is something we will have to work on in training. We always feel like we will score goals and we just need to keep them out."

There were many inside Dens Park who thought Logan had headed in Niall McGinn's swerving ball into the area to restore Aberdeen's lead - the third goal of the day after Andrew Considine's early opener and a wonderful 25-yard equaliser from the visitors' Gary Harkins. It was, however, James McPake, challenged by Logan, who reached the ball first and sent his glancing header into his own net.

David Clarkson's successful penalty, following a barge from Ash Taylor on Jim McAlister, offered hope that Dundee might emerge from this absorbing match with something tangible. That evaporated quickly, though, because of Goodwillie's winner, which prompted post-match comments from the striker that he is willing to extend his contract at the Pittodrie club. His current deal is due to expire at the end of the season.

The expected return of Russell Anderson to the centre of the Aberdeen defence, following a lengthy spell out with a knee injury, will add further stability to the team. While Taylor has been an able replacement, there have been moments of naivety that will need to be ironed out over time.

"When we stop conceding goals, our performances and results will look a lot better," said Logan. "There is still a lot more to come from the team and hopefully we can keep racking the points up and end in a better position than we did last season."

Despite their recent losses, Dundee have shown enough this season to suggest their move back into the top flight will not be temporary. Paul Hartley, their manager, and Harkins were in agreement that the international break will be good for the squad, if only to allow a number of injuries to heal.

"It was a tough one to take," said Harkins. "I felt we were the better team in the second half and once it went to 2-2 I thought we were going to go on and win it. I'm happy with my goal. We had a real go but it doesn't get you any points.

"After the run we've had we could do with the international break to get the legs going again. The positive is we played well."